12 supporting characters who ended up starring in their own games

Spinoff games are typically a good time, because it's always nice to see an established world from a different angle. It's also a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on a character besides the hero everyone knows.

It's kind of a slippery slope. As I'm sure you know, Mario first appeared in Donkey Kong (1981). Even though he was the protagonist, it technically wasn't his game or franchise. The second game in the series, Donkey Kong Jr. (1982), featured DK Jr. as the protagonist and Mario as the antagonist. These two games pre-date the original Mario Bros. (1983). Mario wasn't in the original DK3 at all, but they swapped Stanley with Mario in the GBA port included in the Game & Watch Gallery 4 compilation (2002).